Carving-fork



. (NoModel.) C. L. BUTLER.

GARVING FORK. N0 .f278,398. Patented May 29,1883. i

N. PETERS, Phuwuuwgrzplmr, wnhinmsn. IlA c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Enron.

CALVIN L. BUTLER, OF GREENFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

CARVlNG-FORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent o. 278,398, dated May 29, 1883.

Applioation'led March 2l, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, CALVIN L. BUTLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Greenfield, in the county of Franklin and Gommon wealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Carving-Forks, of which the following is afull and true specilication. i

My invention relates to thatvery important element ina carving-fork, the guard, its construction and thei manner ot its application on the fork.

Many carving-fork guards have been invented, some of which are handsome and useful, some not acting well, and almost all of them subject to the objection of having a. slot or l open joint, or a place where dirtand grease can get in and not easily cleaned. My invention is comparatively cheap, is practical, and not liable to this last objection. i

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention andforrn part `of this specification, 1in which Figure l is a side lelevation of fork with guard broken away. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional 4view of same. Fig.3 is aperspective view of shank, showing V-shaped stud.

A represents the guard, which may be simply aguard fastened upon lthe shank of the .30

. bifurcated, the lower rest.

fork, as hereinafter described; or it may be The lower end of the guard is cut out so as to leave a shoulder on each side, through which passes the` pintle, which fasteus it to the stud B on the shank of the fork, allowing `it to turn up or down. The bottom end of i the guard is also milled out to form a seat i when it rests on the studv B, and on which it freely moves.

A hole is drilled into the guard longitudinally from the lower end, about an eighth of an inch in diameter and about threequarters ofan inch in length, suitable to receive y a small spiral spring, G, which is thrust into `the upper end of the hole. follower, hole,

D lis a small steel of a suitable diameter Vto till this and of length to ll it when the spring t is compressed. The upper end of this foly lower D is square to bear against the spring.` The lower end is so beveled that when it is in position with the beveled side faced toward the tines of the fork it shall bear constantly and evenly ou the upper part of the' stud B .3 onthe shank of the fork when at rest and projections serving as a guard merely, the sides are milled squarely down to receive the shoulders of the guard,

'which are rounded and turn in sockets made for them with a rule-joint.7 The front and' rear sides of the stud B form .two sides of a right angle, while the top is slightly rounded to facilitate the action of the follower over it. When the guard is down the follower lD lies with its thin end on the stud B, the back side of which toward the handle is inclined to exactly fit against the inclined end of the follower D, which maintains a uniform pressure against the top and rear ofthe stud.. As the guard is raised the beveled side of the follower begins to bear on the .inclined head of the studB, and continues the pressure, com pressing the'spiral spring above it till the guard arrives at an upright position against a shoulder,where it is maintained -by the spring. It will be seen that, the force ofthe springbeing constantly exerted against the top and back side of thev stud, the guard is kept in position whether it is resting down on the fork or upright, as whenlposition for carving.

I claim--` i l. A carving-fork having its shank formed with a stud of angular shape with opposite oblique bearing-surfaces provided `for a cushioned follower, which latter is located in the fork-guard and is adapted to move therein longitudinally and bear alternately on one and the other of said surfaces, as and for the pur` pose set forth.

2. The hinged guard provided in its longttudinal hollow space with a spring and follower, the latter of which bears upon the oby lique surfaces of the V-shaped stud, which forms a part of the forks shank, as specified.

3. A carving-fork having formed or xedin its shank a V-shaped or angular stud, in com` bination with a hinged hollow guard Aprovided with a spring-impelled follower adapted to bear upon the saide stud, substantially as set forth. e

CALVIN L. BUTLER.4 

